continual
Americanadjective
-
of regular or frequent recurrence; often repeated; very frequent.
continual bus departures.
- Synonyms:
- repetitious, repetitive, recurrent, successive
-
happening without interruption or cessation; continuous in time.
- Synonyms:
- unending, permanent, unbroken, unremitting, uninterrupted, incessant, ceaseless, unceasing
adjective
-
recurring frequently, esp at regular intervals
-
occurring without interruption; continuous in time
Commonly Confused
Although usage guides generally advise that continual may be used only to mean “intermittent” and continuous only to mean “uninterrupted,” the words are used interchangeably in all kinds of speech and writing with no distinction in meaning: The president's life is under continual (or continuous ) scrutiny. Continuous (or continual ) bursts of laughter punctuated her testimony. The adverbs continually and continuously are also used interchangeably. To make a clear distinction between what occurs at short intervals and what proceeds without interruption, writers sometimes use the contrasting terms intermittent ( intermittent losses of power during the storm ) and uninterrupted ( uninterrupted reception during the storm ) or similar expressions. Continuous is not interchangeable with continual in the sense of spatial relationship: a continuous (not continual ) series of passages.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of continual
First recorded in 1300–50; from Medieval Latin continuālis, equivalent to Latin continu(us) “uninterrupted” + -ālis adjective suffix; replacing Middle English continuel, from Middle French, from Latin, as above; see continuous, -al 1
Explanation
The adjective continual describes something that's recurring, that happens again and again. If your pet wolf keeps up his continual howling all night, your neighbors will let you know about it. Something continual doesn't seem to stop. Your continual nightmares about terrifying clowns occur night after night, and the continual interruptions of your adorable nephew while you're talking on the phone will probably seem less and less cute the longer they continue. The Latin root word is continuus, "uninterrupted," and if you're truly talking about something going on without pause, you'll want to use the word continuous instead.
Vocabulary lists containing continual
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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Commonly Confused Words, List 7
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Until we see persistent, continual job losses over a long period of time across the entire economy, the safe bet is that history is simply rhyming.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
The continual violation of CIF bylaw 600 has left City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos scrambling to replace teams.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026
Evergreen funds allow continual fundraising and reinvestment, creating the feel of an open-end mutual fund, with access to private deals tucked inside.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026
Kempe said continual investment was needed to keep sculptures like An Ceann Mor in use, beyond initial government funding used to establish the project.
From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026
Mrs. Wilson had changed her costume some time before and was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream colored chiffon, which gave out a continual rustle as she swept about the room.
From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
